Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-10-19
A CELESTIAL SIGN.
THE NATURE OF CHINESE MUTUAL
AID ASSOCIATIONS.

Results OF an In9uiring Reporters In
vestieations 90 A Chinaman's Esptana-
tiou.The Detectives Acronnt by No
Means Complimentary.
Patrons Of the Clay street rahle line. which
passes through Chinatown, have mhrveled
much at the possible meaning Of good En-
glish sign swung bnldly 10 the sight Of all
men from the third story of u building on the
south side Of CLAY street, IA short distance
east of Stockton. 1t is r,splendent with gut
lettering and gracefully draped with red
cloth II appears bold and businesslEe II
reads: jog Lam Sen Fnns, Chinese Mutual
Aid Association. These words have a 1ng
to them that Is espeeiaily pleasing To the eaI
OF an American They snnnd modern. They
uSgest an institution possible only to modern
conditions of tra,ie-the mutual benefit aSsn-
ciatIon, the most recent and as unfinished
institution of oar democratic freedom. hut.
above all, it is gratifying TO our race pride td
think that the belated son of the Orient has
observed in our keeping something else that
he must perforce copy.
A reporter entered the Railways of the
customary Chinatown rookery, climbed three
flights of narrow, dirty and dark stairs, and
making his way through an unpainted, M
planed redwood door, found himself in a
Chinese business office. The Joss was there,
sauatted in his tinsel altar begrimed with
punk smoke and hog fat Facing this divinity
there was the usual low platform, softly car
peted Upon this sat, in true Oriental
fashion, three cross legged Cinnamon smok
ing their tobacco through long tin cans filed
with water.
"What YOU wantf" said one of them.
The object of the visit was stated
"Me no sabee. No talkee English, was the
quick, suspicious response; and ihe three
Celestials became as mute as the little mus
tached gods i'll front of them They smoked
on, totally obivious of the strangers pres
ence, and after glance at the semi barhar
ism about him, he left the room.
MORE PRETENTIoUs SIGN.
On his way down Clay street still more
pretentious sign attracted his attention. L
was swung from the top of building oi
Waverly place, and bore the words, Chimes
and American Mutual Protective ASsocia
"A
aud an apartment similar to the one just de
scribei was found on the top floor. Bu
there appeared to lie no one present. Th'
| little god sitting on his heels and peering ou
| through a cloud of lucen]e smoke was alone
Presently, however IA confused hobbhng wa
| heard in one Of the dingy pasSageways tina
| led from the ROOM and u Celestial madesm
| appearance Guiding himself by the wall h
| neared the altar, and then, turning 10 th
| visitor, revealed the TACT that he was SION
| blind
The usual QUESTION, What you wantf' wa
asked and answered, and then the Chinamal
| after explaining that he saw nothing but onl
heard, explained in very fair English th
| PURPOSES of the so iety. He said, IN effect
that ii was closely modelled after the Amer
lean pattern The members pay SO mnc
per month in this case 81, and Ill return &c
| all the benefits that cooperation can atfort
If they become sick they are sent to ChineS
doctors medical establishment and their g,
penses paid; if, through advancing age c
loss of health, they are no longer able to ear
their living in this county, their fare back
China is paid; if found poor on the street
they are taken to the home Of the aSSoclatlo
and fed and clothed; out of work, the
seek it through the aid of the society. tt
blind informant stated that every week Il
office receives letters from the country cal
ing for laborers; and then, when memb'
hreathes his last. the society sees to it that h
bones are in due time shipped to the lands
his fathers.